


Strength

by mymusicalbox



Series: Fluffy asheiji [3]
Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Rated T for swearing, a tad of angst but like a tinsiest bit, alternative ending, because after today's episode we needed it, rushed and self betaed, slight spoilers for the manga so anime only fans beware, teeth rotting fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 07:49:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16193237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mymusicalbox/pseuds/mymusicalbox
Summary: Ash had heard a thousand times that Eiji was his one and only weakness, and he had eventually believed it. But what if that was a lie?





	Strength

Two years had passed since Eiji was forcefully brought to Ash’s violent world. Two years had passed since they met, since they first felt that they would be connected to each other, _forever_. A lot had been going on between them; they had spent time apart, Ash tried to send Eiji off to Japan a few times because he knew he would be safer there, but deep inside, even if Blanca was right and he wanted Eiji to “assuage his own feelings of loneliness” he didn’t want to give in to his life. He had already suffered enough, so when he read Eiji’s letter, he ran to the airport and could see Eiji one last time before the plain took off.

 

If everybody at the airport looked at his disheveled hair, at his panting mess and his out-loud cries of promising that they would be together again, Ash didn’t give a flying fuck.

 

It took Ash a month to clear the mess he was in thanks to that geezer Dino, who was now dead. It’s funny, Ash thought, his lifelong goal ever since he met Dino was to destroy him, and now that he was dead, Ash felt relieved (partly because of that, too), but for a whole different reason. _Eiji was there._ The Japanese had been used by many people since it was evident (to everyone but to Ash) that he was Ash Lynx’s only weakness, but Eiji had a few things to say about that.

 

When Ash got to Japan one morning, he remembered that in Japan people say “good morning” like “ohio goes eye muss” or something like that, so he tried. Eiji’s sister was the one who opened the door that day, and she just looked at him from head to toes, then shut the door, started fangirling in Japanese about him (Ash deduced by picking up the word “American”) and then returned to opening the door, prompting him to enter. Eiji’s parents weren’t there and wouldn’t return home until late night, and Ash knew there would be a lot to explain.

 

Ash stepped inside the Okumura’s house; the living room was modest, kind of tiny if you were to compare it with the condo he lived in with Eiji. However, the place was really welcoming and familiar. For a moment, Ash imagined himself there with Eiji, having breakfast in that small kitchen table, watching him eating his gross natto… and then he had to shake those thoughts out of his head because… what if Eiji was angry at him? He had seen his true self, after all.

 

But Eiji was never angry _at_ him, and could never be. Ash was slowly pacing the living room, as in searching for something dangerous, (old habits die hard), when he suddenly heard a loud stomp of feet coming down the stairs that were right next to where he was.

 

Eiji did nothing but to straight out throw himself at him. That time, Ash didn’t wince because of the pain, but returned the hug, burying his head in Eiji’s soft, black hair. Eiji was running soothing circles across his back.

 

“Eiji-“

 

“Shhh. We can talk upstairs, at my room. Now let me, let _you_ have this.” Eiji shushed. Ash had noticed that Eiji’s English had gotten increasingly better since the last time he talked to him. Did this mean that he had been studying English while he was gone? Did this mean that when he said he’d wait for him forever… it was true?

 

_It was. He was going to let himself have this._

“Okay” Ash replied in a soothing demeanor, bringing Eiji’s body closer to his and breathing his scent. Ash was used to the scent of danger, gunpowder and death, but Eiji smelled like fresh lemons. Maybe it was his shampoo?

 

They hugged for a few minutes, Eiji’s sister staring behind the kitchen counter, but they didn’t realize it, or rather they didn’t want to realize, because this moment was theirs and theirs alone.

 

After that, Eiji guided Ash to his room. In effect, as Ash had predicted, there were English textbooks in Eiji’s desk, along with his camera, and a framed picture of the both, together. Ash’s heart started beating faster. In the middle of the room there was a futon, because apparently Japanese people thought sleeping on the floor was a good idea.

 

“You can leave your stuff beneath the bed.” Eiji told him, softly.

 

“I don’t have any stuff, just brought my wallet. I didn’t have any time to pack stuff.” Ash stated, staring at the ground. _Or I was just so excited to see you again and to… start over again with you trying to forget what I wanted to leave behind._

_Because I can change my fate._

“Okay, then.” Eiji answered. “How about we lay down at the futon and talk a little bit, if you feel like it?” Eiji answered with a warm smile on his face.

 

“That would be nice.” Ash answered.

 

When they lay together on Eiji’s futon, they were pretty distanced at first, no one dared to get close to the other, so Eiji brought a hesitant hand to Ash, which the latter clasped immediately. He wasn’t afraid of Eiji’s touch.

 

They weren’t in different world anymore.

 

“I have been thinking, Eiji. About your letter. About… what you said. I want to change my fate.” Ash declared, a serious tone lacing his voice, even though it came a bit shaky in the end.

 

Eiji squeezed his hand, prompting him to go on.

 

“I’ve also realized something… during all the time we were together, awful things happened to you because apparently, you were my weakness… but I don’t think so anymore. You are my strength. You’ve made me strong and you make me strong. I had already pictured myself as the frozen leopard, unable to escape; but you gave me a chance. You accepted me… despite the…” Ash paused his speech, tears were welling up in his eyes.

 

Eiji turned to face Ash and wiped them off his face.

 

“You _were_ strong before you met me, Ash. You have always been, and you have never been scary for me. In fact, as I spent more time with you, I realized how much I loved you, and we were apart, I realized how much I missed you. I’ve been waiting for you, because I know I’m not able to let you go, and maybe that’s a problem” Eiji chuckled “Because you’re stuck with me and my breakfasts forever” Eiji finished, bringing his free hand to Ash’s face.

 

“I can make an effort if you stop laughing at me about the pumpkins.”

 

“Only if you don’t ever talk about moths.”

 

“That’s a deal, then.”

 

The fact that they only had to worry about their quirky phobias was… refreshing. Their careless laugh filled the air as they got even closer. It was the most pleasant thing Ash had experienced in a lot of time.

 

“I’ve missed you, Ash.” Eiji said.

 

“I’ve missed you too, Eiji” Ash answered

 

“ _I love you, Ash”_ Eiji confessed, even though it wasn’t a confession. Eiji had confessed his love for Ash in a lot of ways. And he would keep showing him how much he loved him, because if Ash woke up every night after a nightmare, Eiji would be there to hold his hand.

 

Because he was glad that Ash had finally the chance to start over again. Because he wasn’t frozen anymore. He could walk his own path towards peace.

 

And his path was alongside Eiji, the love of his life, and so vowed Ash with a chaste peck on Eiji’s lips.

 

 _“I love you, Eiji.”_ Ash declared, smiling fondly.

 

He was going to let himself have this. His life was starting again, and the more he felt Eiji’s light caresses on his face and hands and stared at his beautiful, dazzling expression, the more convinced he was.

 

Eiji was his strength.

**Author's Note:**

> Soooooo I wasn't planning to write anything before a long oneshot I'm planning (you guys will get tired of seeing me here) but today's episode wrecked me because seeing the leopard stuff animated and seeing how much Eiji cares for Ash made me sad... and well, I wanted to write self-indulgent fluff because my soft boys deserve to love each other and mostly, Ash deserves to love himself. Forgive me if this was too OOC, but I wanted to make it reaaaaaaally fluffy ;;
> 
> As always, I'm @weakeninghope on tumblr! you can contact me if you want to scream about BF and Asheiji ;;
> 
> Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think about this! <3


End file.
